Red Horse Distillery operates out of a modest industrial space on Metro Parkway in Fort Myers, where they’ve been crafting small-batch spirits since 2019. Founded by husband-and-wife team Mike and Cindy Paulson, who left corporate careers in manufacturing and healthcare to chase their distilling dreams, this family-run operation focuses on producing vodka, gin, and rum using a custom-built 300-gallon copper still. The 2,500-square-foot facility houses their production equipment alongside a small tasting room where visitors can sample their handcrafted spirits in an intimate, no-frills setting. The Paulsons spent nearly two years navigating Florida’s licensing requirements and perfecting their recipes before opening to the public. Mike handles the production side, drawing on his engineering background to dial in their processes, while Cindy manages the business operations and customer experience. Their approach emphasizes quality ingredients and precise distillation techniques, with each batch carefully monitored from grain to bottle. The distillery produces roughly 1,000 bottles monthly, keeping production intentionally small to maintain consistency and allow for hands-on attention to each run. Visitors find themselves in a working distillery where you can see the entire operation from fermentation tanks to bottling line. The atmosphere is casual and educational, with the owners often available to explain their process and share stories about their journey from corporate life to craft distilling. While Red Horse may not have the polish of larger operations, it offers an authentic look at small-scale spirits production in Southwest Florida’s emerging craft distilling scene.